Olweus has explained bullying as occurring when an individual is repeatedly exposed to intentional negative actions by another person(s), creating an imbalance in power between the perpetrator and victim. He identifies four characteristics of any bullying act: intentionality, repetitiveness, power imbalance, and negative effects.
Cyberbullying, on the other hand, has been explained as willful and repeated harm inflicted towards a person through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. It is an extension of bullying, occurring online, with the anonymity of the bully as the most significant factor. UNESCO published a heart-wrenching report in January 2019, titled Behind the numbers: Ending school violence and bullying, highlighting the status of bullying across the world. It revealed that one in every three students, globally, were bullied by their peers in school, and a similar proportion of students are affected by physical violence.
A more recent study of bullying in India highlighted the different forms of bullying varying according to grade levels – primary, middle/high school, or higher secondary. Highest amongst all was physical bullying, reported among middle/high school students. On the other hand, sexual bullying was reported to be high when the participants were primary school students (43%). The same report indicated that 28% of the participants reported being frequently isolated or left alone. Further, 19% said that someone frequently impersonated them by posting inappropriate things on various social media in their name. Additionally, 16% mentioned that their pictures and videos were frequently posted online with the intention to harm them. This may indicate relational aggression in the form of bullying.
The National Crime Prevention Council (2007) of the USA reported that over 40% of teenagers have experienced cyberbullying. Children and young adults often battle with curating an identity of their own, outside of their family values. As explained by renowned psychologist and psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, children aged 12 to 18 years often go through the conflict of Identity vs Role confusion. The resolution of this conflict and overcoming this challenge is often a function of not just the child’s psychological ability to deal with it, but also the psycho-social environment that they are a part of. If children fall prey to bullying and cyberbullying at this age, it can be a daunting experience. Additionally, it is much more stressful to successfully and smoothly pass through the developmental milestone of finding what ideas and roles they identify with. Cyberbullying often aims at isolating the victim from their peer groups and/or making them feel unacceptable by their peer groups.
Studies have indicated how cyberbullying can result in stress-related disorders such as anxiety and trouble concentrating. Especially in the case of cyberbullying, when the insults and harsh comments are ever-present in the virtual online space, children may find it hard to distance themselves from the incident of cyberbullying. They may also feel that the bystanders and their peer groups have increased access to those comments as they are online and can be seen from anywhere, anytime. Bullying victims also show a higher level of sensitivity, anxiety, tendency to cry, physical weakness, low self-esteem, little social support or friends, and prefer to spend time with adults. A victim of bullying could lead one to become a withdrawn child who may experience behavioral disorders and have negative self-beliefs, along with social and communication difficulties.
Numerous studies have shown that victims of bullying are likely to suffer from learning difficulties, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, diabetes, epilepsy, weight disorders, and other chronic disorders. They also often may experience anxiety and depressive disorders, apathy, headaches, bedwetting, and attempt suicide. This can lead them to develop mistrust towards their outer world.
Researchers in India found that individuals from age 17 to 19 years were the most vulnerable population; 80% were cyberbullied. The most common types of cyberbullying were stalking (71.21%), derogatory comments (64.39%), leaking pictures/videos online (41.67%), and harassment (21.97%). It also indicated how the bully’s security due to anonymity leads to the phenomenon of disinhibition. This means that by virtue of anonymity, there remains little to no scope of punishment, social disapproval, or any serious consequences of bullying others. This may enable individuals or groups to do more harm than they would in ordinary life.
Beyond the scope of education, many measures such as tracing electronic footprints of individuals engaging in bullying and harassment to hold people accountable for their actions can be employed to ensure safety. Additionally, it must fall upon the educational institutions as well to ensure online teaching spaces are safe for all children.
Bhavyaa Sehgal
